Friday, 19 July 2013

This is really just for fun and inspired by something that was in the old 4th Edition Imperial Gaurd Codex.

Enjoy!

~ ~ ~

Deep, The:- Reference to subterranean tunnels, caverns or complexes that lie below the normal level of the utilities and service tunnels of a typical city.

Fathom:- Unit of length used by Morridanes, it has a dual use for being used to measure the depth of water as well as the depth of subterranean tunnels. Though it is suspected that it is often used to deliberately confuse non-Morridanes.

Greens:- Uniform, regardless of colour or function.

Kiss Me Goodnight Commissar Sir:- Popular song amongst Morridane units, believed to be based upon a song from Terran antiquity.

Lid:- Bowl shaped, plasteel helmet used by Morridane units.

Lurker:- A subterranean Xeno race native to Morrdh.

Muck Patrol:- Nickname given to units assigned to a city's sewers and utility tunnels.

SLR:- Lasgun/rifle, believed to have originated from the use of 'Las-Rifle, Standard' on Departmento Munitorum forms.

Saturday, 8 June 2013

Morrdh is a
frontier world in the Koronus Expanse and was discovered by Sebastian
Winterscale very early in his career. A lost world of man, it was
covered in extensive ruins and great Cyclopean cities long buried
beneath millennia of dark forest and dank swamplands. The native
population were examined and found wholesome despite their long
separation from the light of the Emperor, but for reasons unknown
colonists were brought from the Greater Imperium to resettle Morrdh.
Natives who were slow to abandon their old beliefs and practices were
pushed to the fringes, and even today those with Native blood are viewed
with some suspicion.

The tantalising prospect of Archeotech
brought representatives of the Adeptus Mechanicus to Morrdh, while the
prospect of conversion brought representatives of the Ecclesiarchy.
Colonists sought to rule themselves alone, while Winterscale wished to
exploit the mysterious bounties of the world for himself and his
burgeoning dynasty. Fractious squabbling between these factions brought
down the wrath of the Inquisition, who brokered a settlement – Morrdh
and its people would be led by a council representing each faction, a
council headed by a leader chosen from the ranks of the new settlers.

Queen
Lothwyn XIV is the current monarch of Morrdh and planetary governor,
ruling from the capital city of Morrdun. Beneath her, a Magos
Explorator, an Ecclesiarchical official and a memeber of the Winterscale
sit as advisers. Each has their own agenda, and each not-so secretly
longs to rule alone. Were it not for the obsidian tower of the
Inquisitorial manse casting long shadows over the capital it is very
likely that one would have made their move by now. For now, they are
content to plot and intrigue and to quietly indulge in smuggling ancient
artefacts offworld.

Recently, Queen Lothwyn has pushed for her
world to become a Garrison world. Her reasons for doing so are unclear,
as it would entail far higher tithes and far more Imperial oversight.
Some suspect that she hopes to force a confrontation between the other
factions, a confrontation she clearly believes will end successfully for
her. Others believe that she knows of some dark threat looming on the
horizon. Those allied to Rogue Traders fear that it is the first step
towards Imperial annexation of what they see as their rightful domain.

Despite
the intrigue ridden politics, Morrdh is one of the major sources of
promethium in the Expanse and its lumber is valued by Imperial nobles in
the Calixis Sector and beyond as are the relics found in the mire-bound
ruins that dot the planet’s surface...

Promethium

The
major export of Morrdh is a form of Promethium harvested from the
leviathan-like creatures, that roam the ocean depths of the planet, by
the whaling clans that own and operate fleets of whaling trawlers.

The
oil from these creatures is highly volatile and was originally
collected for use as an easily flammable material, it was only after it
was discovered that through a special refinement process the oil could
be turned into a specialized fuel source. This also turned the whaling
industry from a marginal, supplementary one into the single most vital
industry for Morrdh as well as turning the planet into a major source of
fuel in the Expanse.

Morridane Deepwatch

Man
is far from being the first inhabitants of Morrdh, ancient records
state that not long after the planet was first colonized that contact
was reported with a subterranean race of creatures simply called
'Lurkers'. These creatures were reported as being a a crouched,
diminutive creature swathed in rags, its face obscured by a hood, and
possessing a rat-like tail. Over the centuries there have been many
reports of Lurker raids, typically taking place at night, and of
sightings in the tunnels and sewers beneath many of Morrdh's cities. A
specialist military known as the Deepwatch was eventually formed to deal
with the Lurkers, a unit that has been maintained and gained
specialisation in close-quarters and tunnel fighting.

Today the
Deepwatch forms the core of the Morrdh PDF, its recruits are those those
that cannot live on the miserable payment of the whaling clans or who
earn the wrath of one of the criminal gangs. The men and women of the
Deepwatch have the thankless task of delving deep into the tunnels and
caverns beneath the surface of Morrdh, often for weeks or months at a
time, to clear out Lurker infestations and to deter gangs from using the
very same tunnels for nefarious purposes. Deepwatchers must learn a
certain degree of self-sufficiency, as tunnel collapses and other
hazards can easily prevent the delivery of much-needed supplies. Those
tithed to the Imperial Guard often ply these skills on the battlefield,
making the best of available resources and finding creative uses for
common equipment.

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Recently got into a discussion on a forum and ended up talking about ideas I had for an army.

Now coupled with the rise of flyers in 6th Edition 40K I've increasingly been looking at doing a RAF Regiment theme Guard army, basically an airfield defence force.

Also had a look of the Second Edition of Forgeworld's Imperial Armour book that covers the Imperial Guard. In particular I noticed the weapons platforms and had an idea or two.

During WW2 the RAF Regiment maintained batteries of light anti-aircraft guns in the form of Bofors 40mm guns, I can pick models of these up quite cheaply from Warlord Games; http://www.warlordgames.com/store/bolt-action/british-army/british-qf-40mm-bofors-aa-gun-mk-iii-1942-1945.html

In 40K terms I could class them as a twin-linked autocannon Sabre weapons platform, this would be the Hydra flak gun could fill a role as 'heavy' anti-aircraft.